The success of a gargantuan task such as cleaning up a major river lies on how well its tributaries have been rehabilitated and cleaned up. It is good to know that the current efforts of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) takes that lesson to heart as they take on the huge task of dealing with the metropolis’ esteros.
That is no easy task, and there is still a long way to go. But there have been a few success stories that should serve as a reason to be optimistic in all this. like what the PRRC, the Metro Manila Development Authority, (MMDA) and partner organizations have done to one of Manila’s major waterways, the Estero de San Miguel.
Flowing through the north-central portion of Manila, right around the city’s San Miguel district, much of Estero de San Miguel has been cleaned up and a significant portion of it now has a creekside park which serve as an oasis in the middle of a congested city.
In addition, the ones behind the estero’s rehabilitation also took note of its importance as an alternative means of accessing different parts of San Miguel, Sampaloc, and Quiapo as an extensive walkway was set up on the creekside and on the estero itself.
As of this writing, there are still some parts of Estero de San Miguel that are still being rehabilitated but judging from the work that has been done so far, there is reason to hope that it will be successful.
Giving credit where it is due, kudos to the PRRC, MMDA, and partner organizations who helped achieve this task. We can only that same zeal and effort will be replicated in cleaning up the other waterways of the metropolis and realize the dream of a revitalized Pasig River and its tributary waterways as well.
